From another thread AED mentioned... there is a wonderful book called Therese and Maurice--a collection of letters between St Therese and a young missionary priest named Maurice. So worth reading her letters!! I've just about finished this marvelous book and want to share, but first I'll refer to an early post of mine about the Little Flower once more: Well, the retreat happened to be at Canada's National Shrine of the Little Flower. This had a wonderful impact on the weekend, though I'm only now realizing it. There were amazing artifacts and treasures there by which Therese inspired me and reminded me of her role in the O'Loughlin clan. I found it so easy to pray in the midst of such relics; it was like doing a backfloat on a sea of sacramentals: very peaceful and relaxing (Isn't it great to be a Catholic!). Therese, herself, had hoped to be a missionary to far-flung lands; instead, she ended up promulgating and inspiring millions with her Little Way of Love. Like Paul's great hymn of love in 1Cor13, Therese reminds me that what I accomplish matters little, but how I love in the doing, does!. I've shared on this forum before how the Little Flower was planted in my family's life as sort of a patron saint: We have a picture of my Grandfather Dan standing at Therese's gravesite in 1909, just 12 years after her death, and 16 years before her canonization. He was blessed to receive a lock of her hair at that time (location now unknown), and quickly developed a devotion. In 1948, he published a book of religious poems dedicated to her; he had great confidence in her friendship. Here are some other interesting holy coincidences: I was born on Jan. 2, her birthday, and named Terrence in her honor (not Mario). Near the end my years of rebellion, the Lord planted me in a parish named after her; it is there that my conversion took place in 1977. In 1979-80, I shared an apartment with a Little Flower devotee, who introduced me to, Story of a Soul, which touched me deeply. Therese had such a love for Scripture, as do I. Our oldest son, Benjamin, a religious priest now near Detroit, Michigan, was born on Therese's feast day, Oct.1. A few days after learning Geralyn was pregnant with our sixth child, my guardian angel told me it was a girl and that we should name her Therese. Safe Upon the Little Way!
I have fallen in love with this book. It includes 21 letters exchanged between Therese and Maurice in the last year of Therese's life while she was simultaneously in the grip of both advancing TB and her own dark night of the soul. While Manuscript B in her Story of a Soul explains in depth her Little Way of Love, her very human manner of introducing it to Maurice through letters allows his steady transformation to be documented. I entered into it as fully as possible and thus my relationship with this young Doctor of the Church, who died at the age of 24, was rekindled (24 happens to be the same current age of my youngest daughter, Therese). Alas, I will have to follow-up later... Safe Upon the Little Way!
I have this book. I've had it for about ten years. It is wonderful. I've got to pull it off the shelf and read it again!
That is beautiful!!! I named my daughter. Megan theresa because of my love for St Theresa. My husbands aunt died last year on January 2nd and i told everyone what an honor that was!! She was devoted to St Theresa!
